Titolo della tesi: GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION FOR UNPOPULAR POLICY: THE PENSION REFORMS OF MARIO MONTI (ITALY) AND SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA (CHILE)
Since Aristotle's 'Rhetoric,' persuasion and public communication have been closely intertwined. Convincing others of one's point of view, political decisions, or policy plans -especially when those proposals are challenging to follow- has played a critical role throughout the history of Western democracies. Unfortunately, in contemporary times, the situation appears bleak. Populism has gained ground in many regions, and authoritarianism is experiencing a resurgence. Additionally, as highlighted in the first OECD Report on Public Communication, even the highest-quality democracies fall short in terms of government communication professionalization.
In light of this context, this thesis examines and reflects upon various communication strategies and approaches. It also proposes a persuasive model based mainly on principles from social psychology and the art of storytelling. The aim of this proposal is to enhance government communication in general and improve the communication of unpopular policies in particular, making them more effective and compelling.